Temperance and Sin
by Cosmic Sky
Summary: It was ironic how she was supposed to represent temperance yet when he was around her he actively fought against it. After months of playing the roles of master and maid what happens when those roles are cast off and they decide to become something more? An expanded novelization of Kawakami's last two romantic rank ups.
1. Chapter 1

**Since Persona 5 is finally out I'm free to start doing something about some of the plot bunnies that have been bouncing around my head for almost a year. This one is fairly fresh since I've only recently been able to see The Temperance Confidant played in full. This is a little…expansion of the ninth and tenth rank ups, don't worry though, nothing warranting an M rating.**

 **I do not own anything.**

* * *

Akira immediately knew Sadayo was in a good mood the minute she saw her face. It had actually become rather easy to tell when she was and wasn't happy, the former was more prominent than the latter. Lately he'd found that was changing.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked when she caught him smiling at her from behind the covers of one of his magazines.

"Oh, nothing important." He waved off fully knowing she didn't believe him. Sadayo didn't seem to care too much, she did give Akira a cute little pout though. That was always one of the best parts of the 'special' relationship they shared as master and maid. Akira wasn't going to deny there was a part of him that enjoyed the sense of dominance that came with having his homeroom teacher call him master, but he never let it consume him. If he did he'd be no better than the monsters he'd spent the last few months fighting against.

As he watched Sadayo clean his room for what he felt was probably going to be the last time he felt a strange sense of sadness. This was probably going to be the last time she ever visited his room, much less dressed up as a maid for him. She'd made it clear while her second job did have some perks, it was far from what she wanted to do with her life, more importantly it wasn't the thing she wanted to devote her life to. It shouldn't have been because she had it in her to do so much more.

Once she was finished she turned to him with a smile, perhaps the brightest he'd ever seen on her face. Before he could stop himself Akira found himself smiling with her. He already knew the news she was going to deliver but he at least tried to act as if he were surprised least she catch on.

It was hard for her to keep the positive energy within her contained, more so when she noticed Akira's developing smile. "I'm glad you requested me! I have some big news! Takase-kun's guardians came to my house today and apologized! They told me I don't have to send them any more money, and they'll everything I paid them. It's like they're completely different people…like what happened with Mr. Kamoshida." When she noticed the teenager's expression refusing to change Sadayo felt a need to press on to see something for herself. "Hey, you wouldn't um…"

In a short few seconds Akira had gone from cool but happy to on the verge of panicking. _Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! If Morgana were here he'd have scratched my eyes out for leaving this many clues!_

Shaking off the suppression the teacher gave him another carefree smile. "Anyways, it's such a relief! It feels like I'm finally free! They apologized about Takase-kun…even admitted what they did was terrible. They…they even told me I'm a good teacher." The entire thing had felt so surreal, like a break in a storm. The more she talked about it the harder it was to believe all of it was real. "Because of that I've decided to really quit my part-time job today. I've been talking to my boss about it ever since I was hospitalized. It took a while to work out who would cover my shifts. I didn't want to inconvenience anyone."

 _That's just like you._ Is what Akira wanted to say, but all he could do was chuckle to himself. Even if she couldn't exactly compete with the younger maids she was still looked up to for being, well, an adult. For Akira that was part of her appeal.

"Now I can finally make a fresh start as a teacher. I can take care of my students and earn their trust. That's the ideal teacher I want to become. Heh, I bet I'll be an old woman by the time I achieve my dreams."

"Nonsense." He chuckled. The Sadayo Kawakami he was sitting before was practically a different person than the one he'd met when he'd first arrived in Tokyo. Truthfully he liked this one a lot better than the old one who always seemed to be carrying a thousand pounds on her back. "If you go at it with the same enthusiasm as you did in working for me before you know it you'll have achieved your dream. Besides, it's not like you're even close to being middle aged."

"It always seems like you know just what to say to make me feel better." The brunette laughed. "Anyways you're right, I'm still within the demographic age range of what's considered 'young'." A bout of silence followed and her hands tightened. This wasn't easy for her to say, she never thought she'd ever say this to any of her potential customers, much less one of her students. "I…I was always able to rely on you, Master. You helped me come to a lot of realizations because you were such a good listener. I don't think I've ever be able to thank you enough for that." A sudden realization crossed her face. "Oh crap! I almost forgot! Thank you for using our services! Today marks the day I graduate from being your maid."

The minute she said those words Akira felt a sharp pang of sadness echo inside of him. _After this…she won't have any reason to come here. No reason to see me outside of school._ Just the mere thought of him becoming just another one of her students…terrified him as well as upset him. Akira mentally went bug-eyed as the realization dawned on him with the end of her part-time job as a maid so too would end their relationship. _I'm…going to have to say goodbye._ "Well that's a bummer." Was what he managed to sputter out barely noticing his hands were trembling a little.

Completely blind to the teenager's mental distress Sadayo giggled. To her his response sounded little more than what one would expect from your typical teenager. "I could always become your personal maid, right? Heh, just kidding."

Ordinarily the feeling of his rank up was welcomed, but this time it wasn't because Akira had a sinking feeling it had just come at the cost of his teacher's continued company.

"At any rate, what are you going to do once I stop coming here? Can you handle cleaning on your own? I'm pretty worried about the state this pace is in. I feel like you don't put much thought into your diet either…" While true Sadayo knew she was beginning to ramble. _I might as well cut to the chance here._ "Besides, won't you be lonely?"

He wanted to scream at how ludicrous this entire ordeal was. What Ms. Kawakami reached inside of his head and probed his inner thoughts? _It's not like…I wouldn't be lonely._ Sure he had Morgana, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, and Makoto, but…they were…they were… _I don't want to keep you on as just a friend or a confidant._ Steeling his resolve he forced his mouth to speak the words that would make or break his relationship with his homeroom teacher. "I want to keep seeing you."

Once again completely blind to the dismay of her student Sadayo giggled. "I take it you get lonely easily? But you shouldn't say stuff like that so casually okay? Some women may misunderstand your intentions."

 _Yeah, I know, and you're one of them!_ The Phantom Thief mentally screamed. Damn him, he'd gotten so good at acting cool around her he wasn't even able to remotely sound serious when he needed to. Then again, maybe this was the reality check someone like Sojiro would say he needed. _If I tell her I'm being serious then there's no going back._

"Giving someone the wrong idea…it's a sinful act you know." She said with a hint of sadness.

Her words nearly made Akira burst into hysteric laughter. _Oh Ms. Kawakami, if only you knew about me and sin._ He knew better than anyone about giving someone the wrong idea, he'd seen enough damage caused by such misunderstandings; however, that was all the more reason for him to be entirely honest with her right here and now. "Ms. Kawakami, I mean what I say." He said with absolute confidence.

This time she could see the level of truth in his eyes. Silently Sadayo was taken back by the steely appearance of his normal docile gray eyes. She knew that look, she'd seen it when he'd stood up for her at the hospital, as well as whenever he stood up to anyone who challenged him at school. Secretly she'd always found it a positive and even sexy feature, but to now have it turned on her… "Do you understand what you're saying? This situation isn't normal." Sadayo warned feeling a strange burning in her chest. Though a part of her was frightened another part of her had to know what the sixteen year-old sitting before her really felt for her. She wanted to know if…if things really were one sided. "I'm a teacher, and you're a student, you know?"

This really was it, the make it or break it moment. Akira felt as if he were back in Mementos or a Palace facing down an extremely powerful enemy who'd just been knocked down. A single command to his teammates and the battle would come to an end on his order. In this case the battle would end, problem was victory wasn't one hundred percent certain.

 _ **Oh? Is someone getting cold feet? You've faced Shadows and Demons alike, many of which would have sent grown men running in terror, yet this woman, this maid has turned you into the quivering schoolboy you once were. Heh, truly her power must be fearsome if you're considering bowing to it.**_

Arsene's words were unwanted but necessary. He needed to make a decision here and now or else he'd spend the rest of his life regretting it. Interestingly enough his Persona's words also gave him an idea of what he could say. He _had_ faced things most grown men would have shit themselves seeing, and he'd kicked their asses and walked away twirling his knife. He'd seen some of the worst things people could hide and encourage within Mementos, and yet he was able to hold his head up high and smile. After all that he was no longer a child. "I'm a man; you're a woman." Akira spoke as he stood up to his full height causing Sadayo to stumble backwards. "There's nothing wrong with a relationship between those two is there?"

His words, the force in which he'd spoken them, and his sudden movement were all the hard blows Sadayo needed to realize Akira really was _absolutely serious_ about what he'd said. Shock washed over her like a broken dam. "W-Whoa! H-H-Hold on!" _This_ was not how she pictured things going when she came over here. She knew there was going to be some disappointment, but this?! A confession of love?! Throwing up her hands as she stepped back she became frighteningly aware of the fact Akira eclipsed her in height, and possibly strength as well. "Wait, so…whaaat!? No way!" Seeing the fire immediately fade from his eyes Sadayo already fried brain desperately attempted to reboot itself. "Wait, um, that's not what I mean by 'no way', but…but…um, okay. Okay…okay…okay…" Never in all her life had she heard her heart beat so loudly in her ear, as if it were thunder pounding outside of her window. Taking a quick breath she found herself able to steady her nerves enough to speak. "W-What I mean to say is you're a student and a master, while I'm a teacher and a maid. It doesn't make any sense! L-Listen, let's have this discussion next time, okay?!"

Akira felt himself sweat drop for two reasons: one her response was delayed, and two, she'd apparently forgotten she was going to quit being a maid.

Possibly realizing the latter of the two a blush painted her face as she quickly gathered her things and stated she had to head home. In a single breath she was down the stairs and heading towards the door leaving the high schooler alone in his room with his hands in his pockets.

 _ **I must say, that wasn't quite as disastrous as it could have been. At the very least she didn't outright reject you.**_ Arsene chuckled in Akira's ear.

"But…she didn't say yes either." He said not realizing he'd spoken aloud. Usually when his Persona spoke to him he responded entirely in his head, apparently Sadayo wasn't the only one who'd been raddled.

 _ **Do please try to look at this from her perspective. Believe me, you're quite the charmer and gentleman, but you're still a boy by the standards of your society.**_

"I'm well pass the age of consent for romantic relations." Akira growled.

 _ **Physically yes, but you forget my friend, she still holds power OVER you as your teacher. Besides, what exactly can you offer her she can't find with any other man her age?**_

Akira felt something inside of him drop then break at Arsene's words; they were a cold realization he'd been putting off for as long as he could.

 _ **To be fair for you, any woman who enters a relationship with you is putting herself at great risk. Legally speaking and in the supernatural sense. After all, how would you even begin to explain to dear Ms. Kawakami my existence?**_

Looking to his side Akira could have sworn he saw Arsene sitting cross legged on some invisible chair with a smug grin plastered over his visor-like face. He seemed to enjoy doing it whenever he struck a winning blow against his 'master' just as Akira enjoyed smiling whenever he outwitted someone. He supposed as his first Persona Arsene really was everything he was reflected in a supernatural form.

 _ **I will say this, I would enjoy seeing such a relationship flourish. The teacher and the student, the maid and the thief, the servant and the master. Admit it, a part of you wanted to give that justification for pursuing a relationship with her didn't you?**_

… _Yes, a part of me did. Of course if I'd said that you know how I would have come off. She's more than a maid to me._

 _ **And now that she knows that, knows she's more than just an instructor to you Akira, you have to wait to see if she sees more to you beyond your school uniform. You know she's attracted to you, she knows it herself, what must be determined is if she feels enough to cross that line as you did.**_

Racking a frustrated hand through his hair Akira walked over and threw himself on his bed. To say he was tired and frustrated would have been an understatement. _Arsene, did this ever happen to you in your time? As a phantom thief I'm sure you had numerous relationships that didn't exactly fit social standards._

 _ **Hah! I could spend the evening and night telling you of every forbidden relationship I embarked on! Oh the perils and rewards they brought me! However those tales are of little use to you now. As a rather famous count once said, 'wait and hope' my young friend. Simply wait and hope.**_

His Persona had made it sound so easy and simple when those two things were incredibly difficult. The wait could kill him before the promised time arrived, and hope…Akira liked to always look on the bright side of things, but even he had to admit sometimes hope was dangerous.

* * *

The minute the door shut behind her Sadayo felt all the strength in her knees give out. "Holy…crap…" She wheezed out placing a hand over her heart which was still thundering in her chest. Her legs were shaking just like the rest of her body was as the realization fully dawned on her; one of her students had just confessed to having feelings for her, and of all the students! "I can't…I seriously can't believe this is happening to me." The teacher whispered unsure of what to say or how to react.

Once the trembling stopped enough for her to stand she made her way to the kitchen, she needed a drink, badly. Once she had poured herself glass he threw herself over her bed, her pigtails came undone freeing her normally messy hair around her. It was a fitting representation of her emotional state.

Looking out at the elongated shadows cast by the sunset she found herself breathing out the name of the boy who'd thrown her heart into such turmoil, "Akira,"

A part of her found it funny his parents had named such a mysterious boy a name that usually referred to light. The again, in his own way Akira had been something of a light to others, she'd noticed how he'd seemed to have formed a solid friendship with Sakamoto, Takamaki, Mishima, and as of late she could add Niijima to that group. To say nothing of the numerous fangirls he'd acquired by simply being the silent and mysterious student with a criminal record.

 _But out of all of those girls he has feelings for…me?_ Her first instinct was to write the whole thing off as a joke, but Sadayo knew it wasn't. If it was Akira would have ended it when she pressed him, but instead he'd told her the honest truth. That brought her to another conclusion, Akira wasn't just a normal student, not to her at least. "Come to think of it, he never was a normal student." Sadayo remembered him as the student she well and truly wanted nothing to do with, what with having a criminal record. When he stood up Kamoshida that was when her perspective began to change, and then he ended up finding out about her second job. She remembered being slightly happy when he didn't react like some of her more…rowdy students. Though he certainly enjoyed the benefits their afterschool positions afforded them he never lost respect for her as a woman. If anything the more time they spent together the more comfortable they became around each other.

Things came to a head when he showed up in her hospital room, and defended her against the people who'd made her life comparable to a living hell for the past three years. There was no reason for him to do so, and with such force.

" _Don't pay them."_ He'd spoken with such deadly resolve Sadayo had a silent double take. When she looked over she was honestly shocked beyond words to see his entire mood had changed. His eyes were narrowed and dark, appearing almost entirely black behind his shiny glasses. Despite keeping his hands in his pockets and a fair bit of distance a single look told her if Takase's guardians made _any_ sort of move against her he'd stop them, verbally or physically. In a strange sort of way she found the entire thing comforting, no one had ever stood up for her in such a way before. It was only later that night that she realized the entire thing reminded her of a scene in a movie where the boyfriend jumped to his lover's defense without a second thought. _Was that when he…started developing feelings for me?_

Since she was on the train of thought she brought up the image of said guardians calling her completely out of the blue and apologizing, actually begging her for forgiveness. Though she respected them for taking in Takase when his parents passed away she knew they were the kind of people who wouldn't dare apologize for anything. Not unless…

Sitting up she went through the stack of newspapers she'd collected. For the past two months nearly everyone had an article about the Phantom Thieves of Heart. Slowly but surely the group had built up their reputation, first exposing Shujin's medal-winning Kamoshida then the supposed master artist Madarame. _Wait a second, I've seen Akira hanging out with one of Madarame's old pupils, and then there's Niijima-san…_ Denial was the first response and it was a short one. All the pieces were lining up too damn close to be a mere coincidence. More memories of their time together flashed through her mind: Akira making passing comments and compliments about the Phantom Thieves, especially their leader, his approval of their methods and supposed motives, asking her if she knew of anyone who could have used their help. In time Sadayo had found herself agreeing with him, though she knew what they were doing was far from legal she knew their cause was just. " _They're just trying to help when no one else can or won't."_ She admitted as she and Akira had shared a sit down one evening last month.

The final piece was Takase's guardians, she knew their heart must have been 'stolen' like the Phantom Thieves' past targets. There was only one logical explanation as to how that came to pass as no one in all of Tokyo knew what they were doing save for one.

"Holy shit," Sadayo rarely cursed, but this time was the expectation. "Akira…" Her hand went over to her heart, a rather symbolic gesture. "You…you…"

To break the law for the betterment of society was one thing, but to do so for the sake of someone you cared about was…

" _I'm a man; you're a woman."_

Perhaps he hadn't been wrong about that first part. She'd watched him in school and at home, though he looked docile Sadayo knew his world knowledge far exceeded someone of his age range. That was why she'd always felt happy when he requested her and she answered; because in his own way he was an adult.

One that well and truly cared for her.

Sitting upright she looked out at the light screening through the window with true longing in her eyes. "Akira," she said again with emotion ringing at the edge of her voice. He was many things: a criminal, a student, a troublemaker, a thief, a hero, and if she took the plunge…he'd be her lover, and she'd be his.

But only for as long as either of them could it their relationship hidden from the world. How long could they do that?

* * *

He wasn't expecting her to give him an answer at school, no way, not a chance in hell. Still, seeing her walking through the hallways with her head held high was a warming sight. Ryuji had called him out on it and he'd lightly jabbed his friend saying it was nothing. Maybe his best friend already knew, maybe the others did too but they didn't say anything. Regardless he was happy when homeroom came because that meant he got to see her.

"Excuse me! No sleeping in class!"

He loved that voice of hers, especially when it was scolding him. Even if she said no he would have continued to fall asleep in her class from time to time simply so he could steal a minute of her time away from everyone else. As he refocused his mind on the lesson at hand he heard the chatter of his classmates. They'd all taken notice of the brunette's new nicer and more upbeat personality, and were grateful for it. At least he'd be able to look back on that and be proud of the boost he gave her.

She did her best not to look at him, especially if he had that damn smile plastered over his face. She'd dealt with some crazy students in the past, but he was the worst precisely because he wasn't loud or vocal. _You're the worst kind Akira, a trickster._ Sadayo mumbled as she continued the class. The situation between them couldn't spill into school hours, under no circumstances could that happen. Shooting a straw glance at the clock she saw they still had almost half an hour left in class and two hours left in the school day.

Neither of them were sure they'd able to withstand the wait.

Hope and fear swelled up inside him when he saw the message Sadayo had sent him asking him if they could talk. As usual an inner voice told him to acceptance so he could further the Temperance Arcana, yeah, sure, like that was the most pressing matter on hand.

"So are you going to have Kawakami come over?" Morgana asked from the confines of his bag.

"Of course." Before he'd even known it his fingers had typed out a positive response setting the stage for the climax of this little dance.

"Ya' know, I've noticed lately you've been pretty protective of her. Anything I should know about?" The Persona-using feline asked in a cheeky voice as Akira made his way up the stairs.

"Nothing that'll negatively affect the Phantom Thieves." He responded hoping that'd be enough to satisfy his teammate's curiosity.

"Riiiiight." He purred jumping out and making way towards the window above his bed. Turning his head back Morgana gave him the closest thing to a grin a cat could. "Go get her tiger."

"With that kind of encouragement how can things go wrong?" He laughed before she vanished out the window.

A little over ten minutes later and she was standing before him, for the first time dressed in her normal clothes. Her maid outfit was cute, but he was happy to see her standing before him as nothing more than a woman he admired and loved.

"It feels weird being here dressed in a normal outfit." She admitted a little sheepishly to which he chuckled. "Well, I'm complete done with that part time job. Oh and my students! I've been giving them all a lot of advice, some of them have even told me it's helped." _Well that was the easy part, now comes the…hard part._ "So…um…about that talk we had…you know about whether or not we should date." _Not that it was much of a talk, more like a confession and a pause._ "I'm…I'm sorry."

Akira felt like he'd taken a Megaton Raid to the chest hearing those words, but he kept up a neutral front.

 _ **Are you just going to give up like that? Don't let the first blow be the last one, you know she feels for you what you feel for her.**_

"Really?" He offered crossing his legs letting some of the hurt show on his face.

"I…really thought it through you know, I was up all night thinking about what you said." It hurt saying the crestfallen look on his face. More so since she knew he'd probably been kept up dreading her answer as she was of giving him hers. "I was so happy when you shared your feelings with me the other day. Thanks to what you said I was…finally able to realize how I felt." Sadayo admitted in a serene voice. For a moment his expression brightened and it pained her to have to darken it once again. "But Akira, I'm a teacher…and you're my student."

Though what she stated was true the bespectacled youth knew an excuse when he heard one. Even Sadayo herself didn't believe what she was saying. "That doesn't matter."

"You're in a tricky situation as it is. If we get caught suspension would be just the beginning." She countered. "I'm restraining myself because…you're special to me."

On the bright side he now knew his feelings weren't one sided, not in the least bit. _Like any teacher you're trying to be the responsible one._ Taking a deep breath he said, "We won't get caught." It was the same voice he used to issue orders and reassurances to his teammates in the field. Somehow it always seemed to do the trick; he was hoping that 'leader voice' as they'd called it didn't fail him now.

There they were again, that same steel-like confidence in which he let few see. "Where does that confidence come from?" She muttered running a hand through her hair. The more she thought about it the more frustrated she became, especially with his eyes on her. "Arghhh! Why are you so okay with this?! Now I feel dumb for trying to back away! I had every intention of saying goodbye to you! Watching you walk off with another woman!"

Akira remained resolute, he had to if he planned on seeing this through to the end. "I'm okay with this because I know this is what I want, _you're_ the one I want." He calmly fired back preparing himself for whatever came next.

Meeting his gray eyes Sadayo thought of a hundred things she wanted to say to him. In the only there was only one phrase she could spit out. "Oh fine!"

In just two short steps she was sitting beside him, within arm's length really. Temporarily Akira felt like his heart had stopped beating.

 _ **And so it looks like she is willing to cross the line! Enjoy yourself 'master'.**_

Completely blind to the cackling of the supernatural entity housed within the teenager Sadayo folded her hands in her lap. It was rare for a person to make her blush this much, "Why would you like a woman like me? You're a high school student with strange tastes. Or…is that the sort of thing a member of the Phantom Thieves is into?"

… _Shit._ If Akira's heart skipped at least two beats upon hearing those words. Hell, even Arsene had gone silent at them. Had he known? Was he in on it? Was that even possible considering he was a part of Akira?! _If Morgana were here he'd have scratched my eyes out then moved on to the rest of my face._ His mouth went completely dry, "When did you realize I was…"

 _Wow, so that's what he looks like when he's flustered._ The older woman purred enjoying the confusion on her lover's face. She considered it payback for all those times he'd teased her and gotten off scot free. "That thing with Takase-kun's guardians worked out way too good for me, and you're the only one who knew about my situation." Her grin dared him to try to deny her accusations.

 _Yep, if Morgana were here he'd be clawing my entire face off by now._ He waited for Arsene to give him some sort of sarcastic remark only it never came. Apparently his supernatural alter ego had chosen to sit back and watch this little drama play out in silence. "You got me." Akira admitted scratching the side of his head with a nervous smile. "You succeeded where nearly the entirety of the Tokyo Police couldn't so congrats."

"Heh, I haven't lived this long without learning a thing or two ya' know." She playfully chided him. "Don't worry though, I don't plan on telling anyone." As soon as she made that proclamation she saw the muscles in his body relax and the strain ease out. _I really had him there._ Sadayo noted. "There are a lot of stories about the Phantom Thieves, but in the end they help people like me right? That's sooo you Akira. At first I just thought you were a problem child, but now I know better." Reaching over she took his right hand in hers and gave her the best smile she could manage. "I'll support you one hundred percent! You're not just a student to me, you're someone special who helped me realize my path as a teacher. A new path where I'll never abandon any of my students ever again."

Automatically he gave her hand a squeeze while returning her smile. "I'll be there to make sure of that. I like this new Sadayo Kawakami better than the old one so I'd rather keep her around, even if she won't be there to clean my room when I ask her to."

Giggling at his response she exclaimed, "Right then, I'll stay that way, for my students and for you!" Like a breath of fresh air that's what it felt like having his hand firmly clapped in hers with no signs of letting go. Sadayo didn't remember the last time she'd ever felt this way, all she knew as that she never wanted to lose it again.

He didn't care about the rank up or maxing out of the Temperance Arcana, all the Phantom Thieves' leader cared about was the fact the woman he'd had eyes for had returned his feelings for her despite all the obstacles that lay before them. _Acceptance,_ the dark-haired teen mused. Was this how it felt like when Ryuji and Ann found themselves welcomed into his heart? If so his resolve to see them through the darkest parts of their lives was strengthened as he never wanted this sensation to fade.

Sadayo leaned back while still keeping their fingers interlocked and crossing her legs. "Life really is a roller coaster isn't it? I went from being a teacher, to a maid, to dating one of a high school students." Sitting up she spoke in a low, almost seductive voice that made the young man's blood boil. "So…as someone who went from being my master to my boyfriend do you have any special requests for me? I'll obey them you know, even though I'm no longer a maid."

He hoped to God his grin wasn't too obvious. While Akira did consider himself a cut above the rest he was still a man, and like any man he had…thoughts in regards to the opposite sex. Needless to say now that the object of his affections had recuperated his feelings those thoughts were now running wild. Fighting to gain control he chose his words carefully, while he and Sadayo were now official boyfriend and girlfriend there were still certain boundaries they weren't ready to cross. Akira supposed they could have started off light and easy. "I want you to rely on me." He began shooting her a charming smile.

Despite the annoyed frown she was blushing. "Don't be so conceited. You're younger so you should rely on me. Here, by all means." She said patting her lap.

Grinning like an idiot he eagerly took her offer. If Ryuji or Yuuki were here Akira was sure they would have been screaming their heads off in jealous rage. Well, if they were Akira would have practically kicked them down the stairs and locked the door. This feeling, heaven was the only description he could give it as he felt sleep tugging at the edge of his vision.

This wasn't the first time she'd done this, but it was the first time she'd actually enjoyed it, and offered it as Sadayo Kawakami as woman, not as someone's maid. And this was the first time she'd done it for someone younger than twenty. _Just like I thought…silky._ Sadayo whispered softly running her hand through Akira's soft inky-black hair. "Looks are so deceiving, I thought you were one of those shy guys who didn't pursue women." _I'm glad I was wrong about that one._ She felt he agreed when she heard a distinctive chuckle. _Since we're finally…he should say yes shouldn't he?_ "Can I…stay with you…a little bit longer today?"

"You can stay as long as you want." Akira stated as clear as day. He let her soft strokes turn into something of a lullaby. He let it all go: his school life, his identity as Joker, Personas, and targets. All that he wanted to exist was the woman who'd accepted him.

Sadayo didn't know when she'd fallen asleep, all she knew was that someone was holding her in their arms. "Ak..ira?"

"Shuuu," His soft voice sounded from the edge of darkness.

The teacher could feel her cheeks heating up as the image of her being carried over to Akira's bed became crystal clear. Oddly enough she wasn't fighting it, in fact, she enjoyed the feeling of being carried in someone's arms for once. _He's stronger than he looks._ Sadayo noted as he lowered her into the soft mattress. "Akira-kun," she moaned tugging him down, as expected he offered no resistance falling on top of her.

The teenage thief paused for a moment to fully absorb the unkempt beauty she possessed when free of her maid outfit. He never realized just how dark her eyes were until he was staring directly at them. A pair of warm hands clasped the side of his face, Sadayo's hands, and the next thing he knew his lips were on hers'. Neither of them held anything back as they moaned into the kiss, Sadayo ran her hands through Akira's lush hair while his hands went to her sides. With the slightest bit of pressure applied Sadayo moaned a little louder, Akira silently broke off resulting in a slight whine.

"Just like I thought, lemon." He grinned before placing his lips on the crux of her neck.

"A-Aki..ra…p-please…" What was left of her rational mind was screaming for her to tone things down before they went too far. The problem was another part of her truly wanted to see what 'too far' looked and felt like. "W-We ca…"

"We're barely two weeks away from the end of the first term, besides, I know plenty of kids have already started cutting class since July started. What's one who's late to class?"

Her hands went from his hair to his waist, "D…Do you w-want to…I mean if you want-"

"No," He said seemingly reading her thoughts. Shifting a little so they were now face to face on the side of the bed he smiled at her blushing face. "For now, all I want is to have you here in my arms. We can do…that when you're ready."

Just when she thought she couldn't be any happier Akira went and gave her another reason to be happy she was alive. This time she buried her head in the space between his head and shoulder, content in knowing he'd be there for her when she woke up. They'd deal with whatever came next when it happened, for now, they were going to exist solely for each other. Feeling the soft ticking of her breath on his shoulder lulled Akira back to sleep, just before he closed his eyes for good he placed a small kiss on his girlfriend's forehead.

Hours later when Morgana returned he was pleasantly surprised to see Akira and Sadayo curled up together on the bed, both of them wearing comfortable smiles on their faces. "Oh Joker, here I was thinking I'd come home and find your shirt on the floor and your pants on the couch." The cat purred looking back out over the alley way beyond the apartment. "Now I have absolutely zero competition for Ann's heart. Heheh."

The talking cat left the couple alone and headed back out into the wild city streets knowing his leader and 'roommate' probably wasn't going to available for the rest of the night. The next morning though, he'd have all the leverage he'd need to set himself up for the foreseeable future. After all, the great Joker didn't want it getting out he'd had his heart stolen by a maid did he?

* * *

 **That turned out to take a bit longer than I thought, but I'm fairly proud of the result. Let me know what you guys thought in the reviews. I've noticed lately there's been a slow trickling in of P5 fics and I wanted to add to the growing pile with a story about one of my favorite game pairings. In the future I'll try to add more since the Persona 5 cast has really grown on me.**


	2. Chapter 2-Hawaii (Bonus)

**Originally this was going to be just a one-shot, but seeing the positive feedback convinced me to add another chapter. Thank you everyone for the positive response. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

For any couple a trip to a tropical paradise like Hawaii was a gift from the heavens. Many a young and old couple had dreamed of going there for any number of reasons, all of them romantic. For Akira and Sadayo they considered themselves lucky they would have the chance to go to Hawaii, except there would be some…complications. Make no mistake, the two had been quite happy in their two months of being together, but this trip to the U.S. would prove to be a new hurdle in their relationship. For starters, it was going to be a school trip, meaning their friends and peers would be with them every step of the way, and two…they were a student and a teacher respectively.

"Look at it this way, I could probably pass for a college student; that might lessen things." Akira offered as they waited for the light to change allowing them to cross the street. "Nothing wrong with a college student and a high school teacher together is there?"

"Sure that'll work, right up until they spot you in the same uniform as a bunch of other high schoolers." Sadayo snidely shot back.

"That won't be a problem if we're both out of uniform." The younger of the two grinned watching the hot blush spread across her face.

Sadayo both loved and hated that little smirk of his, it was practically daring her to make a move or say something only to have him refute her. Damn him and that stupid charm of his, "And if someone asks why a young man like you is walking arm in arm with a grown woman? What then?"

Upon crossing the street Akira's arm coiled around Sadayo's waist bringing her closer to him. As usually she didn't resist it, in fact she welcomed it. A slight blush covered her cheeks but not enough for any bystanders to notice if they kept walking. "You're going to tell me I'm overthinking this aren't I?" She started only getting a shrug for an answer. _Maybe…maybe he's right. Besides, it's not like there's going to be anyone calling for my attention while we're there. Even if something does come up I'm sure Akira will know how to slip away, he's managed to evade the Tokyo Police for over five months already._ With that thought came a little bit of dark pride causing her to smile a little. _Thanks to you I really don't have to do much to keep us a secret._ "Have you ever thought of going outside the country? Any place you wanted to see?"

"Of course, whenever I was showed a picture book of something outside my sleepy little town I wanted to go there." The bespectacled teen laughed. "Hawaii though, truthfully I've dreamed of going but I always dismissed it as a pipe dream. Now I'm not only going there, but I'll have a beautiful woman in my arms throughout the trip."

"Maybe not the entire trip but I'll definitely see what I can do about finding some time to see you." She laughed. "I'm just hoping no one does anything stupid so I have to waste my pseudo-vacation time yelling at a bunch of immature kids."

"What's with that look? You know by know Ryuji's more responsible than he looks."

"Exactly, but Sakamoto-kun is still, well, ya' know." The brunette stated. "Just watch out for him, make sure he doesn't get into trouble. I know you know how his temper can get him into trouble, especially if he sees something that sets him off."

He knew it wasn't her intention to offend or bad mouth his best friend. On the contrary Sadayo had actually grown a healthy respect for the blond delinquent he called his best friend and right-hand man, it had just taken some time to warm up to him. Though Ryuji was loud he wasn't the worst of the students that would be crossing the Pacific to visit the United States. Like his girlfriend he too had a mental list of those likely to cause trouble, rather than personally deal with them he'd have to leave the situation to Makoto and the Shujin staff. The trip was going to be their personal time, he wasn't going to let anything change that. "So have you picked out something to wear? I wouldn't mind seeing that daisy-colored-" Akira asked with a cheeky grin.

"We're in public Akira!" She shouted wishing she could slap that grin off his face.

"No one seems to mind too much Sadayo." Hardly a person on the street seemed to pay the two of them any mind which only added to Sadayo's frustration and his amusement. That was one things he liked about the streets of Yongen-Jaya, how life moved on regardless of who or what you were. He found comfort in walking these streets without aim or direction when he first arrived in Tokyo, now he could walk them with his teacher turned maid turned girlfriend in his arms. All with the sweet bonus of knowing the metropolitan police were racking their brains trying to figure out who the Phantom Thieves were. "So are you going to answer my question…or will you save it as a surprise for later?"

"I think it'll be better if I keep you in the dark on that." The brunette giggled leaning her head against Akira's shoulder. Sadayo was aware of the possibility that this would be the last time she and her lover would have physical contact for a while. While the thought annoyed her greatly she remembered the next time they got together it would be the sunny shores of Hawaii, it was consolation prize she could live with. "Having spent a few months here how do you feel about heading to the beach? You've lived in a small town most of your and now you've had a taste of city life, how's the beach looking?"

"This will be my first time ever going to beach honestly." He answered looking up at the darkening sky. His earliest memories were faint and barely decipherable, one thing he was sure of was that he'd never known the feeling of walking on sand and feeling of waves crash against his legs. Come to think of it neither of his parents had ever seemed to like water, his father especially. "Since you're more in the loop can you tell me what we won't be allowed to do?"

"Don't do anything stupid." She immediately stated.

"Can you define stupid for me, my definition is lacking Sensei."

Playfully slapping his arm she chose to forgo repeating everything the principal had laid out on his list of what not to do. That had been an incredibly long and boring meeting that left her wanting to bash her head against the wall. Within the first ten minutes Sadayo already knew half the students would violate the established rules just for the hell of it.

They didn't talk anymore after that, they simply continued down the street enjoying the cool fall air. It was a nice departure from the blistering heat of July and August though it was inevitable a prelude what many were guessing was going to be a cold winter. Oddly enough Sadayo found she was actually looking forwards to winter, maybe because she'd actually have free time and someone to spend it with. The closer they got to her apartment complex the more people she began to recognize; none of them said much seeing her with a teenager, if anything she caught a few slight grins being shot her way. She wondered if this was the kind of reception they would get when they went on the trip. With her boyfriend's body still comfortable pressed against her she allowed her imagination to wonder off to the future.

Akira took pleasure in seeing the dreamy expression on the brunette's face. Since they'd gotten together she'd been free to do a lot more of that lately, or maybe now she had something to day dream about. Being a guy he silently let his own imagination run wild though he was better at concealing it unlike his girlfriend. As they drew closer to the block she lived on he prepared himself his mind wondered to the promised trip wondering what would happen once they landed. _I won't be a Phantom Thief and she won't be a maid, but we'll still be seen as student and teacher by the school._ Sighing he realized as stellar as his luck was it always had to come up short somewhere. "I guess this is goodbye for the night." He chuckled as they stood before the door to her home, a relatively decent-sized building he'd yet to have the pleasure of entering. One day maybe he would, preferable soon.

"Y-Yeah, I had a great time this evening so thank you for that." She responded with a hot blush coloring her cheeks. Akira still had her wrapped in his arms leaving their faces unfathomably close to each other. She was sure he could feel her heated breath tickling his neck, and Sadayo could definitely feel his fingers gently rubbing against her sides. Matching his smile with one of her own she placed both hands against his chest and leaned in. The second their lips met the older woman felt all her restraint go out the window, peering eyes of neighbors be damned. Opening her mouth a little she happily invited his tongue in and he did so as well allowing a union that fanned the flames of desire in both of them. Sadayo had come to enjoy being warmed by this fire, it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced in any of her past relationships.

Taking advantage of her lust-induced paralysis Akira gently pushed his girlfriend up against the door frame sandwiching her between it and his body. Every time he heard her moan or felt her shudder in pleasure a rush of pride swelled up inside of him further feeding his desire. Each shudder that ran through her body he felt as well, the brief times they pulled away to catch their breath all they could do was stare at the other before locking lips again. There was definitely a hint of pleading in their actions, both aware they weren't going to be able to do this for a while. Akira was tempted to move his hands lower, down to a place that would have colored her cheeks a scarlet red as well as earned him a slap on the arm; if he did it would totally be worth it though.

Sadayo wanted this moment to last longer, hell, a part of her mind was silently pleading for Akira to take things a step further. To fish out the key and stumble their way into her bedroom and then…then… _N-N-N-No! W-W-We already agreed that we won't do it on a school night!_ The teacher's rational mind thundered at her more indecent thoughts. Violently grabbing the controls her teacher-side forced her to gently push her younger lover away, much to the dismay of the other side of her mind. She really did hate the feeling of removing herself from him, but she knew it was for the best. Sadayo knew for a fact her lips were still red from the passionate make out session as she spoke, "S-S-S-So I-I'll see you tomorrow. M-M-Make sure to pack appropriately and g-get a good meal in before we depart for ai-airport."

"Yeah…sure." He laughed pulling out of her arms and beginning down the walkway. Just as he reached the nine-foot mark he craned his head back and with a completely fearless smile asked, "By the way, can I expect yellow or green? Personally I think you look better in yellow." For an answer he got an explosion of red and one hell of a shell shocked expression, one that could put even Ryuji and Ann's shocked faces to shame. "You're right, it'd be better as a surprise. See you tomorrow Sadayo!" Not looking back he carried the Cheshire grin all the way down the street somewhat unnerving onlookers who caught sight of his impossibly wide smile.

* * *

"Ohhhh, that kid!" The thirty-two year old woman growled falling on top her bed with a glass of sake sitting on the nightstand. How many times had he done this to her?! How many times had she been left completely disarmed at the hands of a high schooler just half her age? Who also happened to be a wanted criminal? Not for the first time she wondered how the hell she'd even ended up in this situation. Not that she'd come to regret any of it. Still, he had brought up a rather…interesting question.

Walking over to her closest she fished out what little swimwear she had, truthfully Sadayo had never been much of a water person. Since trips to the beach were few and far between she only had two pairs of swimwear, when she learned of the school trip she'd gone out and bought herself a brand new bikini. Shameful as it was the only thought in her mind as she paid for the sexy clothing was Akira's grinning face which nearly made her break out in a blush at the register.

It wasn't exactly green, but she felt she could pull off blue just as well as she could yellow which was her favorite color. She found it rather humorous when Akira told her his favorite color happened to be red, given what she knew about him she found it fitting. This would be the first time he'd ever let him see her in such a skimpy outfit baring her maid uniform. "If I could leave him speechless as a maid then I can definitely do it wearing a bikini!" The brunette resolved with determination in her brown orbs.

* * *

 _This…could have been way better._ Akira though staring at the dark ceiling of the hotel room he was now sharing with his best friend, the Phantom's PR manager, and now Ann. _Where did things go wrong?_ It started out decent when they landed, but then they found out just how restrictive traveling was when you're high school student. In other words, it sucked balls. From the minute they stepped off the plane and had to decide who they were going to be rooming with he felt the air leaving his sails fairly quickly. The first day of sight-seeing was fun, but after that he had to listen to Mishima continue on about the Phan-Site all night. More than once Akira had to tell him to take it easy since they were supposed to be on vacation; that set him right back into gotta-get-a-girlfriend mode in a heartbeat. At least he had a few minutes to himself while the shorter male was on his doomed quest to get himself a girlfriend. Akira almost felt sorry for reminding Mishima of his single-man status. The following day not even Yusuke's surprise appearance had been enough to completely salvage the trip.

Since the trip started he hadn't been able talk to his girlfriend, or more importantly she hadn't been able to talk to him. He knew such a thing was inevitable given her position as a teacher, but reality had been a little harsher than what he'd been expecting. And then Ryuji and Ann had immigrated to his room due to their roommates bringing their respective lovers to their rooms and locking them out. Akira felt like some cosmic deity was laughing at him, if there was then he wanted a word with that deity. In a roundabout way though he supposed he was lucky Mishima didn't have a girlfriend of his own or else he would have been in the same boat as his teammates; that left him the issue of trying to sleep while sharing space with three people for the night. Adding to the pile the Phantoms' PR manager dropped the news they'd finally made their world-wide debut.

 _We were looking forwards to this trip so we could get away from our lives as the Phantom Thieves, that's why we call it a vacation._ He mentally grunted. Still, hearing how they'd gotten the attention of the entire world had done good things to his ego, it never hurt to have it stroked every now and then.

"What about you Akira?"

"Hm?"

"Spacing out huh? I asked you what kind of girl you're in to. We already know all she needs is a nice body and Ryuji's sold." Ann stated while Ryuji promptly called her out. "Maybe I know a girl you like and I can hook you up if you're interested."

 _That'd be great, if I weren't already in a relationship Ann._ This was another aspect of their relationship Akira had to deal with, the secrecy from his own teammates. In the short time they'd known each other he'd come to trust them all, especially Ryuji and Ann. Regardless, he couldn't let them know he was dating their homeroom teacher. "For starters I'll admit there are certain physical qualifications she'd have to pass, not that I wouldn't accept her for who she is. I guess for me what draws me to a woman is her mind."

"Seriously dude?" Ryuji began. "You want an egghead?"

"Yeah actually, I want someone I can have intelligent conversations with." The dark-haired teen mused. "It doesn't matter to me if she's smarter than me or not, I guess what I want is someone who knows what they're talking about when they start talking."

"What about personality wise?" Ann pressed even more interested. "Don't tell me, you're into shy girls. Don't look at me like that, you come off as one of those guys who'd totally go for a girl who's too shy to approach you then treat her like a total princess."

"Oh, so you're saying I'm some chivalrous knight with glasses?"

"In cool black leather armor and packing knives instead of swords." The male blond laughed. "I mean just look at the way you chewed out those bastards in Mementos, the ones who were exploiting Kawakami-Sensei, dude, I've never seen you so pissed off before. I hear chicks dig that kind of stuff."

"Not all of them Ryuji." He countered letting his smile fall a little. If only his best friend knew where his chivalry had landed him. "I don't think I would mind being called chivalrous, or having a pet name to be called by. Anyways, back to Ann's original question, my type of girl is the mature kind."

He hadn't given them anything to piece together, absolutely nothing that could lead back to his relationship with Sadayo. Still, watching the mystery on their faces was pretty enjoyable.

"Wait, with that kind of description are you talking about…" Something came across his mind and the Phantoms' muscle shut his mouth and turned to Ann. Akira made a mental note to probe Ryuji for his thoughts later on, maybe on the trip back home. "We answered honestly, so now it's your turn Ann. What kind of guy do you-"

"S-Someone…"

All three of the teenagers went silent at the ghost-like voice. They looked around the room at first unable to decipher where it had come from.

Shaking the voice off Ryuji started again, "So, what kind of guy do you-"

The flush of the toilet interrupted the male blonde's question as well as answered the trio's previous question. "M-My stomach…Hrgh…."

"That doesn't sound good." Ann remarked sitting up as did Ryuji.

"Y'know, wasn't he drinkin' the tape water earlier? That's like the one thing you're not supposed to do when you're outta the country."

Akira immediately face-palmed. _God damn it Mishima! Bad enough I can't see my girlfriend on this trip, but now I have to spend all night listening to you deface a hotel toilet!_ He was beginning to see why Sadayo sounded so drained and worried when she talked about looking after the kids while they were on the trip.

It may not have been Japan, but teenagers were still teenagers, the flower of stupidity was in full bloom.

* * *

When he saw the texts Akira knew he was going to be subjecting his two male friends to a long and cold afternoon of loneliness and boredom.

He'd make it up to them someday.

One of her messages had mentioned how she could use some de-stressing, Akira was good when it came to 'de-stressing' his maid-turned girlfriend. Instantly he'd replied that he'd be right there as soon as possible. "So I finally get to find out rather it's yellow or green." The teen grinned as he unzipped his suitcase and searched for his swim trunks. Again, he'd make it up to Ryuji and Mishima, one day in the far future.

Finding her wasn't too hard to do once he left the hotel. They'd decided to meet at the bench area right in front of the hotel where many of the students had gathered and met up with each other. It was incredibly easy for him to spot her, he'd recognize that mess of brown hair in a heartbeat. What he was not expected was a fairly thin t-shirt to obscure her upper body from view while a pair of incredibly sexy yellow and blue striped bikinis covered her lower region. If Akira had to guess beneath the t-shirt he'd find a matching set.

Her deep brown eyes fell on his near-dark gray orbs, Akira smirked while she blushed a little. This was their first time seeing each other so scantily clad.

"Sorry if I made you wait." The teenager offered walking up to her.

"No, it's no trouble. I gotta say though, it's nice to finally have some 'me' time since I've been so busy lately." She knew there was going to be a fair amount of work to balance out the vacation, what she hadn't expected was for the work part to over cede the vacation part. Now that her boyfriend was finally here she felt the vacation part could actually begin. "Hey," Sadayo started when she noticed Akira's gaze was locked on her and her alone. To have those eyes stare her down when she was so thinly clade made her feel, well, embarrassed. "What are you staring at?"

"Your swimsuit." He answered with a charming smirk.

"Liar."

"What, I'm not allowed to stare at my girlfriend when she's standing before me in a hot swimsuit?" The dark-haired boy added watching her cheeks heat up in enjoyment.

"Th-Thanks, I appreciate your honesty." Sadayo responded happy she'd caught her boyfriend's attention. Though she'd been complimented on her swimsuit there was only one person whose praise she really wanted, and he'd just given it to her. "Hey, do you wanna go for a walk?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He chuckled pushing up his glasses before taking her hand and guiding her down the sandy streets.

To have her hand held firmly in his made all of the teacher's worries instantly melt away. Likewise with his beloved at his side Akira felt he could finally start enjoying the trip.

"You look like this trip's been just as much of a drain on you as it's been for me." Sadayo noted as they strolled through the sand with the sound of the waves and the people blaring from both sides.

"Let's just say this is the first real time I've been able to relax since we landed."

"Since you weren't rooming with Sakamoto-kun I thought you'd at least be able to get a good night sleep. I can see the bags under your eyes."

She was good, Akira had to give her that. "Let's just say…certain things kept me up all last night and by the time I fell asleep dawn was less than half an hour away." He grumbled out.

"I see," The former maid nodded looking over to the sandbar where countless other people had carved out a little corner of the beach for themselves. "You know, if you want we could find a nice little tree and you could take a nap."

He knew that voice, it made his blood boil and lit his teenage hormones ablaze. "Will this nap come with a free message?"

Locking eyes Sadayo immediately put on her most innocent expression and leaned in to the point she was practically being held in Akira's arms. "Do you really have to ask me that question Master? Haven't I always been a good maid to you?"

He couldn't resist just a quick peck on the lips as he heard those words. Spying a remote tree that offered decent enough shading. For him it seemed like in a few short steps they'd claimed the spot as their own and he was releasing a much needed yawn. "Ya' know, a nap on the beach may be just want I need."

Lying back against the palm tree the teacher offered the student her lap as a pillow, all too eagerly he took it. Sadayo remembered the evening they'd decided to begin their relationship, how it really started with her offering him a chance to use her lap as a pillow. _It's hard to believe that was barely two months ago, and now look at where we are._ Looking out over the Hawaiian shore it made Sadayo feel incredibly happy she'd had the fortune of meeting Akira. _Who would have thought I'd be sitting on a Hawaiian beach with one of my students sleeping in my lap?_ It was times like this she was happy for the curveballs life threw at her. Softly tending to his hair she engraved the image of Akira looking so at peace into her mind. He looked so innocent, a far cry from the charming young man who moonlit the streets of Tokyo as a Phantom Thief. She'd noticed whenever he was around her, when it was just the two of them, he seemed to relax just a little bit more. Sadayo knew what to look for because she was the same way when it came to her double life as a teacher and a maid. With that thought in mind Sadayo realized they made an odd yet reasonable fit for each other.

Here so far away from the bustling city of Tokyo they weren't anything but a couple enjoying the sun. No one who passed at them or winked knew who they were, just as they'd both hoped. Lost in his sleep Akira was completely oblivious to the various winks and chuckles they received, at least she'd have something to tease him about when he awoke.

Fifteen minutes later and the Phantom Thieves' leader awoke to soft strokes along his forehead. As usual his vision was hazy upon awaking only coming into clarity as he attempted to sit up. A soft hand gently pushed him back down, in an instant he remembered who the hand belonged to and where he was. "Thank you." He smiled.

"That's what a girlfriend is for." She giggled. "Did you enjoy your nap Master?"

"Very much so." He answered sitting up against the tree trunk and wrapping his arm around her waist. "I owe you something for that."

"I'll think of something." Akira's body was soft yet at the same time surprisingly firm. He had a lean figure that caste him as more of an acrobat or a runner than big boned or a brawler like some of his classmates. She supposed he worked to maintain that handsome physique out of both pride and as a part of his duties as a Phantom Thief. Running a lazy figure across his chest she noted the complete absence of any scars. _At least I know you're keeping out danger, or at least danger hasn't left its mark on you._ Her fear of what he was going through sometimes kept her up at night, what danger he might be facing sneaking into God knows where and facing God knew who, some knights she woke up with a shiver, one knight she awoke with a scream. Her tracing with a single finger eventually turned into her entire palm softly stroking his well-defined body, Akira remained perfectly silent as she lost herself in her actions. _How long will you be able to keep this up? Am I going to pull your shirt up one day to find you have some scar on your chest? Or am I going to call roll in class and you won't be there?_ Sadayo tried not to think about the possibility of such a thing happening, it was just too scary to imagine. Just as she opened her mouth to speak she felt an undeniable rumble come from her boyfriend's stomach. Looking up she saw him giving her a rather flustered smile. "Seems like someone's hungry."

"Y-Yeah, it's been a couple of hours since breakfast so I guess we should go get some lunch." He explained standing up. "Let's see what we can find."

Finding something wasn't so much a problem as actually picking something out. To say the beach was littered with food stands and trucks would have been an understatement. For Akira the myriad of smells just made his stomach howl even louder much to his annoyance; it screamed at him to pick anything that would satisfy it. The problem was Akira could only recognize half of what was being sold at the stands. He was a minute from randomly picking something when his girlfriend beat him to the punch.

"Oooh, look! Garlic shrimp!"

 _I guess I know what it is we'll be having for lunch._ "This'll be a first."

"You've seriously never had garlic shrimp before?" His girlfriend asked genuinely puzzled. "Tasting local delicacies such as this is an absolute must on a vacation don't you think? Come on!"

"I guess this really is going to be a day of firsts for me." The high schooler chuckled jumping in line. Truthfully he was willing to eat anything just as long as it filled his stomach. Besides that based his lover's excitement he was going to wage garlic shrimp had to have had some taste to it.

Not too long afterwards and they were searching for a table, or rather she was searching for a table while he placed two plates of steaming hot garlic shrimp in two hands. He was hoping like hell she found a table soon because he _really_ wanted to eat. Akira let out a sigh of relief when Sadayo finally spotted and table and they could began eating.

"The only thing missing here is a nice cold beer." Sadayo mused downing another delicious bite. "How come drinking on the beach has to be forbidden in Hawaii? It's not fair."

"Probably to prevent a lot of drunk idiots from stumbling around ogling women in bikinis." He slyly countered. "You weren't kidding about the garlic shrimp, it's pretty damn good."

"See? Told you you'd enjoy it!"

"You don't get food like this back home, have you eaten foreign food before?"

"Actually yeah, I have. You see my parents own a restaurant in Nagoya, when they were younger they used to take me on a few of their traveling trips. You wouldn't believe all the food I got to try."

"Lucky you. If that's the case why didn't you choose cooking? I can personally attest to the fact you're an excellent cook."

"Still tryin' to sweet talk me huh? I guess I decided I loved teaching more than I did cooking, besides for me it always seemed more a hobby than a calling."

"That's a shame, I would have enjoyed Chief Kawakami," his face-splitting grin might as well have been a felony. "But it doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Kawakami-Sensei, and I wouldn't be able to you call you my loyal servant."

Even though his voice was low enough all she could hear it his words still ignited a firestorm within her cheeks. _Damn it Akira! Even when we're eating do you have to keep flirting with me! Well, actually, I guess I should be happy we're eating shrimp and not something a little more…suggestive._

By the time their plates were empty both the student and teacher had full stomachs and satisfied smiles on their faces. The garlic shrimp had been a true delicacy as Sadayo had predicted. It was all enjoyable until their server asked them one rather innocent question that caught the higher schooler and instructor completely off guard.

"By the way, are you two honeymoonin' here? From the way you acted you sounded like a pair of newlyweds."

"Eh!?"

"Huh?!"

Even if it was just met as a joke the sheer surprise left the two of them speechless. If Sadayo could regain any composure she would have enjoyed seeing Akira just as flustered as her. On his end the Phantom Thief was spinning out of control with no apparent end in sight. The phrase honeymoon had sent his mind into something of a miniature shutdown, and after that something of an unneeded walk down memory lane.

"N-Nope, j-just another couple here on vacation." Sadayo answered grabbing her boyfriend's hand then dragging him away.

It wasn't until she stopped to look back to see he was smiling at her, not seductively or with charm. Just a simple smile of happiness. Stopping for a moment she leaned in planting a quick kiss on his lips. "Thanks for the meal Akira-kun."

"Anytime Saya-chan."

* * *

The teenager and adult always found something rather charming about the sunset, perhaps because it meant something to the both of them. For Akira it meant the end of another long day of work, preparation, training, and dungeon-crawling in Mementos. For Sadayo it meant work was over and hopefully she could go straight home and relax. Thanks to Akira she had been able to do such a thing for the past month without any worries. Now the sunset they were looking at symbolizing something entirely new: unity and peace.

Waikiki Beach had been every bit as extravagant as it had been made out to be. It sharp contrast to Tokyo everywhere they looked there was color and people, all carefree or too engrossed in their own pleasure to notice them. Out on the water were dozens of people, swimmers, surfers, and so forth. Sadayo attempted to bait her boyfriend into renting a board and testing his skills on the wave only to have her challenge coolly denied. Apparently the great Joker didn't do surfing, give him legions of dangerous Shadows and human scumbags, but not even his impressive skill set covered battling Neptune's dominion. She giggled when he told her how his 'guts' just weren't high enough to try something like surfing, but she was more than welcome to five it a try.

Just because surfing was out didn't mean they didn't get themselves wet. Wading waist-deep into the water then getting into a childish splash fight was more than enough fun for both of them. Following one lucky shot Akira was graced with an image of his girlfriend's soaked upper body allowing him to clearly see the breast-hugging bikini top underneath. He was so busy staring he completely failed to notice the torrent until he was tasting seawater in his mouth.

"Lucky shot." Akira mumbled wiping his eyes.

"Don't play that game with me, here I thought you were above such petty antics." She playfully huffed turning away.

"That's funny coming from the same person who couldn't take her eyes off me once I showed up shirtless."

Their splashing match ended in a draw with a promised rematch someday in the future. Passing the Beach and Spa Resort gave them a glimpse of some of the beach's more wealthy occupants leaving them daydreaming about what it would be liked to spend an evening at a spa resort. Sadayo in particular seemed to relish the idea of someone tending to her relaxation after her three years of forced servitude. Stopping short at the Honolulu Zoo did they realized if they kept going they wouldn't be able to make it back before night fall.

"You know, I actually would have liked to go to the zoo."

"Anything of interest you wanted to see?"

"Nothing much, it's just…something I've always wanted to do. My dad promised to take me once, but…well, some stuff came up and we never went."

Sadayo knew when her lover was keeping something from her. More than his life as a Phantom Thief there was his home life, something she knew even less about. "In that case one day we'll just have to come back here ourselves." She resolved creasing his face with a smile he returned.

"I gotta say, my first time out of country, turned out to be a whole lot cooler than I thought it would be." Akira admitted as they watched the last quarter of the sun begin to dip beneath the horizon.

"It's been years since I've seen something so beautiful like this." Sadayo said in regards to the sunset. Silently Akira agreed with her, beach sunsets truly were a beauty to behold. "I was having so much fun I forgot to be on the lookout for anyone who might recognize us."

"I'm sure no one cared even if they did see us. We saw at least half the guys out on the surf, watching them get swallowed up by the sea then go back for another try."

"Even so…if someone did say anything I wouldn't back down if they confronted us about it." She elaborated with a confident smile. "To tell you the truth, I'm worried you're lonely because of the position I'm in. We finally got to spend time together, but this was the last real day of vacation time we had before we have to head back. Akira-kun, I…I wanted to spend more time with you than this. I'm sorry things turned out this way."

Silently reaching over he caressed her cheek with the softness of a feather. It was beautifully smooth and soft, a feeling he'd grown accustomed to. At the second of his touch her expression went from saddened to happy. "I do want to see more of you, but I'm happy I got to spend at least one day with you here. One day, that's all that counts."

Placing her hand over his she leaned into his touch. _How many times am I going to have to be the one to rely on you?_ "I'm happy to hear that. What do you say we come back to Hawaii sometime? Just the two of us?"

"I'm definitely up for that." The student grinned.

"Here, take this." Pulling his hand away from her face she dropped a tiny object into the palm of his head. His face morphed into a surprised expression once he realized what it was. "I give you the power of a paycheck!"

"A Hawaiian ring? With our initials?" He started looking it over with great interest. "This definitely had to have taken an entire paycheck."

"It was worth it to commemorate today." The older woman sheepishly replied. "I…wanted something that would remind us of today. Do you like it?"

Slipping it onto his finger he leaned over and peeked Sadayo on the cheek. "I love it."

Blushing she looked back towards the sun, down almost completely disappeared beneath the horizon. The bright colors it had created were turning darker and darker. "It's gonna be dark soon. Do you wanna head back?"

Snaking his head around her lower waist he leaned back into the beach, that seductive smile plastered over his face. "I'd rather spend a little more time with you here if that's okay with you, S _ensei._ "

Returning the seductive smile with one of her own she laced her fingers with his and leaned on his shoulder. "If you say so, Master."

It may not have turned out how they planned it, but their vacation had been enjoyable. Amidst the dying light of the Hawaiian sun they made a promise to one day meet her again, perhaps on that day they'd no longer have to carry the labels of teacher and student, simply boyfriend and girlfriend. They'd await that day no matter long it took, as this had showed them, sometimes the reward was well worth the trouble.

As darkness fell the beach slowly began to depopulate, a great majority of families and teenagers leaving the area half as crowded as before. Ironically as the young left the old began to slowly trickle in, these were people who weren't limited to things like curfew or parental guidance. Naturally on their way back they encountered few Shujin students, the students after all were a curfew the young couple were coming close to missing. Not that Akira was worried, or Sadayo.

"I'm beginning to think you're starting to rub off on me." The teacher noted as they passed another tree line on their way to the hotel.

"Would that such a bad thing?" They'd gotten so good at hiding themselves and sneaking around to avoid detection. For Akira it was child's play, for Sadayo, well, she was a quick learner. The stars above them were brighter than they were in Tokyo. "The stars here on beautiful."

"I agree, but there's one thing here that I find more stunning."

"And that would be?"

The thirty-two year old cupped both sides of Akira's face with her tender hands. With her so close her hot, lustfully breath tickled his skin and fired his nerves. On instinct Akira wrapped his hands around her waist pulling her in.

"You in those swim trunks." Sadayo whispered seconds before smashing her lips against his with a little more force than he was expecting.

Akira took in the number of things conveyed in that kiss: lust, hunger, and fulfillment, and he returned them with equal force. Sadayo's legs hiked up leaving him to hold her up. "You've been waiting for this haven't you Saya-chan?" He breathed out pushing her against the nearest tree so her breasts were squished against his chest. She didn't verbally answer him, only give him a pleading look that begged him to continue. The dark-haired youth did so, the teacher opened her mouth allowing his tongue to explore every inch of her mouth while at the same time furiously duel with her own tongue. New desire fueled his soft massaging of her hips, her throaty moans in had only one place to go while her hands entangled themselves in his dark locks.

"Akira-kun…"

Her shirt was so thin he could have torn it apart if he wanted to, and there was a part of him that _really_ wanted to. Restraining the carnal urge he pulled the barely-see through t-shirt over her head revealing her sizable breasts covered by the matching bikini top. Briefly breaking off from her mouth he nipped into her neck electing a sharp, lust-filled cry from the older woman. Her legs tightened around his waist and the feeling of lust inside of her became almost too much to bear. Hell, Akira was fighting the urge to undo the strings holding her swimsuit together and take her right there behind the hotel.

"You'll be wearing this next time we come here right?" He softly asked breathing onto her skin while reaching up to grope one of her breasts with his right hand.

"D-Depends on i-i-if it still fits." She replied barely able to think straight. "I-I don't want to be walking around the beach with a-a-"

"Who said anything about walking on the beach?" He whispered pressing his lips against hers again resulting in a lustful moan followed by her instinctively grinding her body against his. "I think after this your master deserves a private show don't you think?"

The longer they kissed and grinded against each other the greater the fire inside of them grew. If they didn't stop then they knew it would consume both of them.

"I-I…I want to…"

"I know, believe me…I know." The younger male responded gripping her buttocks rather possessively. Pulling away to find her lips red, her eyes wide and pleading, and her hair even more disheveled he very much felt the desire to give in to temptation. "But we can't, not here, where anyone could see or hear us. Once we get back home though…" smirking he dipping one finger beneath the fabric of her bikini. "Can you be a good girl until then?"

"Only if Master rewards me." She pouted.

"Don't I always reward you my dear servant?"

The secret couple shared one last passionate kiss before breaking apart. Sadayo put her shirt back on while Akira readjusted his glasses. They had to take a minute to regain their composure as well as put back on their respective masks of civility before they could head out into the public. Not to mention they'd need some time to explain the…markings they'd left on each other.

"I guess now I've got one more thing to look forwards to after graduation." Akira grinned.

"Then I can expect you to give it your best effort for the remainder of the school year." Sadayo added looking rather proud at having 'motivated' her student.

"Come one Saya-chan, aren't I always a model student?"

For some of the students the trip was a bust, for others it was everything they'd been preparing for. For Akira and Sadayo, they were amongst the latter group. Not only had they made memories in the sandy beaches of Hawaii but they'd promised to return one day when they weren't restricted. Akira felt that wish burn strongly in his chest when he remembered once they arrived back in Tokyo he'd be Joker, leader of the Phantom Thieves of Heart. His future was dark, but he was used to darkness, he thrived in it. Now things were different, he had a light to strive for.

 _When we come back…_

 _We'll go all the way._

"See ya."

"See you back home."

As the two went their separate ways each may a silent resolution in their hearts looking back towards the beach where they'd seen the majestic sun set. One day they'd watch it rise above the crystal blue waters, together. Until that day came they'd push onwards through anything and everything that came their way.

* * *

 **I seriously felt tempted to turn this story into a lemon writing that last part, alas, I vowed to keep this story T-rated at the most. Of course, one day, maybe before the end of May I will do a Akira/Sadayo lemon, the plot bunny is definitely there. The pairing certainly leaves a lot of creative room to explore as do many of Persona 5's possibly couples. Until next time guys!**


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